Other worlds 2 by Derek Nosbisch

This edition created in Stacy Asher's Publication Design class University of Nebraska Lincoln, 2016

Fonts used include: Kozuka Gothic Pr6N in styles Extra Light, Medium, Bold, and Heavy Gill Sans MT in styles Regular, Italic, and Bold

Copyright ÂŠ 2016 by Derek Nosbisch This edition published by Derek Nosbisch Some images reproduced via The Cover Project www.thecoverproject.net All other images produced from original photos taken by Derek Nosbisch All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written consent of the Publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America

CONTENTS Page Foreword

Atari 2600

Super Nintendo

Nintendo 64

Gameboy Color

Xbox 360

Wii

114

Playstation 4

132

Glossary

184

Other Worlds: A Catalog of Gaming History By Derek Nosbisch

A Brief Foreword... Ever since I've been conscious of them, video games have played a large role in my life. The first time I pressed a button and saw the little man on the screen move, I was enraptured. This idolization quickly turned to obsession once I realized the breadth and variety of games that existed, the sheer quantity of digital worlds to escape into overwhelmed me. My obsession was held firmly in check by my parents. Limits were placed on how long I could inhabit the digital realm, and for good reason. As enticing as video games are, they pale in comparison to the splendour of the real world. But it's when the two collide in fantastic and unexpected ways that true magic happens.This catalog is a response to that magic. Part archive, part diary, the games presented herein all have some story to tell, just as I have stories to tell about them. That mirrored aspect is what I hoped to encapsulate with this catalog. Other Worlds is a labor of love. I designed it with the intent to be a collection of memories, while also exposing the breadth of games that are out there. The catalog contains games dating all the way back to 1976, two years before my father received his Atari 2600, starting a chain reaction leading to my current fascination with video games. The collection contains games from many genres, and many different consoles. The developers and publishers behind the games are numerous, evolving vastly over time. Yet one thing struck me as I went about cataloging these games. The more things have changed over the years, the more the ideas and concepts behind games have retained core concepts. Sure an arcade port of Mario Bros. from 1982 doesn't have much to do with The Last of Us, but they both strive for a similar goal: to entertain the player. They all encourage you to pick up the controller and PLAY. And that's the core concept behind every game that I have. It's what drove me to create Other Worlds, to catalog those memories of play and design the book with that in mind. That concept extends all the way to the cover design, with the different controllers enticing the reader to pick up and "play" with the book. That's something I tried to keep up throughout the book. Here's hoping I suceeded.

-Derek Nosbisch

Special thanks to: Alex Tapia-Vargas and Colton Stone for contributing games to the collection. Travis Nosbisch and Megan Nosbisch for helping out in a pinch when I needed it. and Caroline Ashton for being there to listen to my complaining.

For Mom and Dad

ATA RI

On opposite page (listed from top left to bottom right): Adventure, Asteroids, Atlantis, Basketball, Berzerk, Bugs, Canyon Bomber, Chopper Command, Combat, Cosmic Ark, Defender, Donkey Kong, Encouter at L-5, Frogger, Home Run, Mario Bros., Maze Craze: a Game of Cops 'n Robbers, Missile Command, Pole Position. On this page (listed from top left to bottom right): Reactor, Space Invaders, Space War, Spider-Man, Star Raiders, Street Racer, Super Breakout, SwordQuest:Earthworld, SwordQuest: Fireworld,Video Olympics,Video Pinball, Warplock,Yar's Revenge, Zaxxon

It's truly a testament to my father's organizational skills that twenty-plus years after he last touched his Atari 2600 games, that they were still in the box, alphabetized. I can only imagine the hours upon hours of fun that he had with his brother Bud back in the late seventies/early eighties. It's amazing to me how one simple gift can spread beyond generations, leaving it's mark on many people. That's what these games symbolize: the beginning of a fascination with play.

Did You Know? Generally defined as a "message, trick, or unusual behavior hidden inside a computer program by its creator", the easter egg concept was popularized by Adventure on the Atari 2600, and influenced by the corporate culture at Atari. Atari removed the names of game developers from their products, seeing it as a means to prevent competitors from identifying and luring away their programmers. So, Warren Robinett programmed Adventure so that when a certain item was placed in a certain place, his name would appear.

Super Nintendo

Dig and Spike Volleyball

Dig and Spike Volleyball was fairly similar to Super Tennis in that it offered multiple characters and locations for play, which didn't change the gameplay up that much, but it was a nice change of pace to say the very least. As you'll soon see, my family has a bit of an obsession with sports games. Dig and Spike is just one of many.

Year Released 1993 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Sports Developer TOSE Publisher Hudson Soft

Ken Griffey Jr. Winning Run

Home Run Derby was a good way to pass the time. Those pitchers were ruthless though.

Year Released 1996 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Sports Developer Rare Publisher Nintendo

Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country... One of the old stand-bys. This game was ridiculously hard for 10-year old me to play. It's a platformer with bite, challenging the player by slowly revealing layers upon layers of intricacy. This was the first platforming game featuring Donkey Kong as a protagonist. It had multiplayer in which, upon the player getting hit, control would switch to whoever had the second contoller, and they would play as Diddy Kong until they could revive Donkey. My mother and father would play together on date nights, right after they had gotten married. Eventually, my father would share this game with me as well.

Year Released 1994 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Platformer Developer Rare Publisher Nintendo

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest

After the crazy success of Donkey Kong Country, Nintendo cracked the whip on Rare, and had the developer pump out a sequel right away. Instead of featuring Donkey, it features his companion, Diddy Kong. Starring alongside him is Dixie Kong, who would eventually get her own game on the Gameboy advance. DKC2 plays almost identically to the first, but with some moderate improvements and a slightly more difficult end game. This game was well known at the time for being a graphical powerhouse. It pushed the Super Nintendo to its limits, and received positive press and sales as a result. This was a contributing factor in the eventual push for better graphics for console games.

Year Released 1995 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Platformer Developer Rare Publisher Nintendo

NBA Jam

Year Released 1994 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Sports Developer Midway Publisher Acclaim Entertainment

NBA Jam was one of the very first console games that my dad introduced to me. It's a pretty simple game, but the arcade-y nature of it was captivating enough to always make me beg for one more round. You take control of a bunch of mid-90's NBA stars in what appears to be an alternate universe where NBA games are two-on-two all-star slug fests. Oh, and did I mention you can push the opposing players so hard that they fall to the ground? It may not be the most authentic basketball game of all time, but it did give rise to the infamous phrases "He's on fire!" and "Boom shaka-laka!" both of which have permeated into actual broadcasting language via sports broadcasters who grew up with the game. It's fair to say that NBA Jam has had a pretty strong popular culture impact, but it's still just as fun to pick and play as ever. Nothing beats dropping 50 points on your opponent before they know what hit them.

Pictured (from top right to bottom left): NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, Roger Clemens MVP Baseball, Super Black Bass.

Super Mario World

Super Mario World is one of those games that's extremely iconic, and yet many people don't know how they know of it. If you bought a Super Nintendo, you had Super Mario World, it's that simple. On top of it's overall proliferation, it's a fantastic platformer to boot. Challenging, but not too rough, it was for quite a few people their entry into the platforming genre. For me, it was a game I loved to play with my siblings, trying to get as far as you could without dying so that you wouldn't have to hand off the controller. Turns out that's a good motivator to improve your skills. Super Mario World is also pretty famous for the enormous amount of ROM hacks that sprang from it, with hackers creating entirely new gameplay systems and levels based on the core code. There are still a ton of hacks out there today for players to try out if they're feeling adventurous.

Year Released 1991 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Sports Developer Nintendo EAD Publisher Nintendo

Super Play Action Football

Bought this one for my dad off of Ebay when I was a kid (also when Ebay was more of an actual thing). Little did I know that the game was a critical dud and that was totally inferior to it's Tecmo brethren. All I knew was that the player's uniform on the front looked like the household favorite Pittsburgh Steelers.

Year Released 1992 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Sports Developer TOSE Publisher Nintendo

Super Tennis

My Dad and Sister would play this a lot. Whenever the teams would switch sides, it looked like the players would slap each other with their rackets, so my dad played that up for laughs.

Year Released 1991 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Sports Developer Tokyo Shoseki Publisher Nintendo

Tecmo Super Bowl

Circle the wagons.

Year Released 1992 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Sports Developer Tecmo Publisher Tecmo

Tecmo Super Bowl III

Circle the wagons three times harder.

Year Released 1994 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Sports Developer Tecmo Publisher Tecmo

WWE Royal Rumble

The thing I remember the most about WWE Royal Rumble was the titular mode. Having 18 wrestlers duke it out in a survival of the fittest mode was incredible when I was younger, but the real challenge came from my family trying to cheat the system and beat it as quickly as possible. What we would do is line up on either side of the ring, and as soon as a new wrestler would come into the ring, we'd quickly grapple them, and use the command to make them run across the ring to the other player. With one short press of a button, the other player could send them flying out of the ring, essentially disqualifying them in around 3 seconds. Creating mini-games within games themselves seemed to be a recurring theme with my family. After you've exhausted what you can do with a game normally, it's fun to try and explore and find the cracks. WWE Royal Rumble had extremely interesting cracks.

Year Released 1993 System Super Nintendo Players 1-2 Genre Sports-Based Fighting Developer Sculptured Software Publisher LJN

Did You Know? Sony's Playstation started it's life as a CD player add-on for the Super Nintendo. The deal was that Sony would make the CD player add-on, and simultaneously develop their own console called the Sony Playstation that would play both CD games and Super Nintendo cartridges. The deal fell through when Nintendo realized what a complete advantage that would give a competing system. Yet, it's fun to wonder what could've been.

Nintendo

Cruis'n World

I never really got around to playing this on the N64, but I remember playing it in arcades. The various locales were pretty neat, and the graphics honestly weren't too bad. However, by the time I got around to playing it (in arcades) it felt incredibly dated. Unfortunate, because few things are more relaxing than just Cruis'n.

Year Released 1998 System Nintendo 64 Players 1-4 Genre Racing Developer Eurocom Publisher Nintendo

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Mario Kart 64

Thanksgiving afternoons were ever more enjoyable thanks to Mario Kart 64. My great aunt had a Nintendo 64 and nothing went together better than blue shells and pumpkin pie. I was awesome at the Gameboy advance version, but the N64 version of Mario Kart was way too complicated for my child brain. It didn't help that it was one of the first console games that I played as a child.

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Year Released 1997 System Nintendo 64 Players 1-4 Genre Racing Developer Nintendo EAD Publisher Nintendo

San Francisco Rush 2049

Once upon a time, my housemate Alex and our group of friends were addicted to this game. It was ridiculously hard, but the battle mode was a fun mario kart replacement.

Year Released 2000 System Nintendo 64 Players 1-4 Genre Racing Developer Atari Games Publisher Midway Games

Super Mario 64

Although I was not conscious at the time, Super Mario 64 blew minds when it came out. The 3D graphics and rotational camera put the entire industry on notice, and helped propel Nintendo 64 sales. My experience with the Super Mario 64 was mostly with the port to the DS. Messing around in the mushroom kingdom on a miniature level was extremely technically impressive.

Year Released 1996 System Nintendo 64 Players 1 Genre Platformer Developer Nintendo EAD Publisher Nintendo

Super Smash Bros

There is no party in the world that isn't made better by somebody plunking down an N64 and Super Smash Bros.

Year Released 1999 System Nintendo 64 Players 1-4 Genre Fighting Developer HAL Laboratory Publisher Nintendo

Did You Know? The Nintendo 64's controller was groundbreaking in several aspects. It was the first controller to feature an analogue stick and rumble capabilities, both of which are now industry standards.

Gameboy Color

PokĂŠmon Red

The first Pokemon game released in the US. This game also recently celebrated it's 20th anniversary, coincidentally, on my best friend's 19th birthday.

Year Released 1998 System Gameboy Players 1 (2 over Gameboy Link) Genre Role-Playing Developer Game Freak Publisher Nintendo

PokĂŠmon Yellow

Pokemon yellow is basically the same game as Pokemon Red, but infinitely better because it allowed the player to pick Pikachu as their "starting" pokemon.The other starter pokemon were eventually available as well, making for quite the stacked team of pokemon if the player was up to the task.

Year Released 1999 System Gameboy Players 1 (2 over Gameboy Link) Genre Role-Playing Developer Game Freak Publisher Nintendo

PokĂŠmon Crystal

The very first video game that I ever owned, Pokemon Crystal was life-changing. Suddenly, I wasn't Derek Nosbisch, I was a world-class pokemon trainer. Even though I couldn't read all of the words in the game, the programmers made it so that I could make it through the game. It was challenging and hand-holding in the same manner, a stroke of genius that led in no small part to the popularity of the Pokemon series. I don't know why my parents ever let me have this game, but I'm sure they regret it.

Year Released 2000 System Gameboy Color Players 1 (2 over Gameboy Link) Genre Role-Playing Developer Game Freak Publisher Nintendo

Did You Know? The Gameboy Color is the only Nintendo handheld to feature clear cartridges.

XBOX 360

Assassin's Creed II

Assassin's Creed II was the game that catapulted the Assassin's Creed series into the stratosphere. A unique backdrop of renaissance Italy combined with the braggadocio of it's main character and a mysterious sci-fi twist made the game tantalizing for gamers with curiousities that lay on the more historical side. Requiescat in Pace.

Year Released 2009 System Xbox 360 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action-Adventure Developer Ubisoft Montreal Publisher Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed III

Assassin's Creed III was the first game in the Assassin's Creed series that I owned. Set in the American Revolution, I couldn't resist the opportunity to mess up some redcoats and talk to George Washington. The game really takes the American fantasy of the revolution and pumps it to eleven. What I most remember about the game was the bait and switch that Ubisoft pulled when they advertised the game with Conner, the main character, then proceeded to have a multi-hour intro sequence where you played as his father, before the eventual reveal that his father was a Templar, in direct opposition to the Assassin order that you know his son would eventually join.Talk about daddy issues.

Year Released 2012 System Xbox 360 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action-Adventure Developer Ubisoft Montreal Publisher Ubisoft

Batman: Arkham Asylum

This game crept up on everyone. I remember talking to one of my friends in 2009 and he said that from the previews that the game looked like Batman punching a bunch of skeletons. How wrong he was. Batman: Arkham Asylum was the first game to make me feel like a superhero.You stalk enemies from the shadows, you throw batarangs, you thwart villainous plots, you dish out ridiculous amounts of justice via fist fights, you uncover mysteries... I could go on and on about how this game made you feel so overpowered and yet, so in control.

Year Released 2009 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Action-Adventure; Metroidvania Developer Rocksteady Studios Publisher Eidos Interactive

Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City took what Batman: Arkham Asylum did, and improved everything to an absurd degree. It's one of the greatest games of all time. It has one of the best boss fights in any video game. The voice acting and story are extraordinary. The open world is extensively detailed and feels alive. But best of all, you are the Batman. Nothing more can be said.

Year Released 2011 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Action-Adventure Developer Rocksteady Studios Publisher Warner Bros. IE

Bioshock infinite

The prequels were infinitely better.

Year Released 2013 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre First-Person Shooter Developer Irrational Games Publisher 2K Games

Brothersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; a Tale of Two Sons

Brothersâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Tale of Two Sons made me cry. There, I said it... A video game made me cry. Part of this was the method in which I played it. I had read online that the best way to play this game was to get your sibling and share one controller. The game was designed so that it could be played with one person controlling the left stick and bumper (with control of the older brother) and another person controlling the right stick and bumper (controlling the younger brother). It only made sense that I would ask my younger brother to play it with me. What the game would put us through, I couldn't begin to imagine. If you have a sibling and a means to play this game, do it together.You won't regret it.

Year Released 2013 System Xbox 360 Players 1 (2 if you're crafty) Genre Adventure Developer Starbreeze Publisher 505 Games

Bully: Scholarship Edition

GTA for adolescents

Year Released 2006 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Action-Adventure Developer Rockstar Vancouver Publisher Rockstar Games

Burnout Paradise

I will never not associate this game with the song Paradise City by Guns and Roses.

Year Released 2006 System Xbox 360 Players 1 (more online) Genre Racing Developer Criterion Games Publisher Electronic Arts

Catherine

A surprising exposĂŠ on the tribulations of relationships, Catherine blindsided me. It doesn't seem the typical game to cover such topics in an adult fashion, and yet it spins a solid tale of debauchery and bliss, linking the protagonist's struggles in the gameplay-based "dream world" with his daily trials. Not to mention it's a good murder mystery to boot.

Year Released 2011 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Puzzle-Platformer Developer Atlus Publisher Atlus

Dishonored

Dishonored is a game about vengeance. Surprising, right? What it lacks in originality of plot setup, it makes up for in varied and interesting gameplay. Although the story does have a morality system, it doesn't make the player think too much, and boils down to whether or not you can live with killing all your targets. Fortunately, this is a game where you can go through without killing a single person, so the morality system isn't comprimised in that manner at least. Dishonored is one of those games that I come back to time and again to test my skills at sneaking and messing with the enemies.

Year Released 2012 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Stealth-Action Developer Arkane Studios Publisher Bethesda Softworks

Dragon Age: Origins

Not as good as Skyrim.

Year Released 2009 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Role-Playing Developer Bioware Publisher Electronic Arts

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Back in the good old days of 2011, every person I knew had played Skyrim, except myself. I was not of age to play the game, as it was M-rated, and yet I was caught up in the whirlwind of excitement that was everyone's stories within the game. You could fight dragons, you could create your own character, you could make decisions that branched the story in unique and interesting ways (but not particularly deep ones), and you could be whatever you wanted to be in this fantasy world. It was intoxicating. A little over a year later when I finally convinced my parents to let me play the game, I fell in love with it. Skyrim was the first role-playing game since Pokemon that I marveled in every aspect. Is it a perfect game? Hardly. Is it spectacular? Absolutely.

Year Released 2011 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Action Role-Playing Developer Bethesda Game Studios Publisher Bethesda Softworks

Halo series

Year Released 2007; 2010; 2011; 2012 System Xbox 360 Players 1-4 (more online) Genre First-Person Shooter Developer Bungie; 343 Industries Publisher Microsoft Game Studios

Pictured (from top right to bottom left in order of release): Halo 3, Halo: Reach, Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 4

It's needless to say that for a period of time, I was obsessed with the Halo franchise. I bought every game that came out because seeing that infamous logo was instantly a sign of quality. On top of that, Halo was a cultural phenomenon that everyone was in to. It was like a social gathering point for gamers everywhere. My friends and I spent hundreds of hours playing together online in the futuristic battlefields expertly crafted for replayability. We created our own games and maps that the developers would've never even anticipated. The one experience I remember the most about Halo was one game of Team Snipers (where every player on both teams has a sniper rifle), where I was in voice chat with some random guy from Arkansas and we coordinated our team to the win.That was the moment I realized the power that the internet had on gaming.We played a few more games together, and then went our separate ways. Sadly, that sort of interaction is extremely rare in today's gaming landscape (and on the internet in general). However, I'm still hopeful that open chat will make a comeback. Halo was always a good time for that.

FIFA 11

This game introduced me to the band Gorillaz through its soundtrack. That only makes me respect FIFA 11. On top of that, online games of 11 on 11 full soccer matches were absolutely insane. It's one of those gaming experiences that are hard to forget.

Year Released 2010 System Xbox 360 Players 1-4 (more online) Genre Sports Developer EA Canada Publisher EA Sports

Just Cause 2

Action-Man, the video game.

Year Released 2010 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Action-Adventure Developer Avalanche Studios Publisher Eidos Interactive

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4

I've always been a big fan of the Harry Potter books, as are most of my family. So when the Lego series eventually made it's way to Hogwarts, I was excited. I don't remember much about this game, only that the spells and characters gave me a huge blast of nostalgia, since my family picked it up further down the road from it's initial release, and there was a bit of distance from the Potter movies in my mind.

Year Released 2010 System Xbox 360 Players 1-2 Genre Action-Adventure Developer Traveller' Tales Publisher Warner Bros. IE

Madden NFL 13

We've had many many versions of Madden in my house over the years, and for some reason, Madden 13 has stayed the course. I don't think there's anything particularly special about this game, but for quick gaming sessions with my brother, Madden definitely scratches at that cooperative itch.

Year Released 2012 System Xbox 360 Players 1-4 Genre Sports Developer EA Tiburon Publisher EA Sports

Mass Effect Trilogy

For some reason, in January of 2014, I had a really strong urge to play Mass Effect. I didn't know much about it, I just knew that it was a choice and consequence kind of game, and that I usually enjoyed that sort of story. So one evening, I'm in the car with my parents, and I ask them if we can stop by Gamestop so I can grab it. It had started snowing kind of bad, but my dad let me out, and I went in and bought the whole trilogy for thirty dollars. The games consumed my life for the next few months. The original Mass Effect, while a little dated by today's standards, was a fantastic introduction to the world and characters. The player took the role of Commander Shepard, a soldier in space who tries to protect the galaxy from the threat of extinction by a malevolent force known as the Reapers. It may seem like a fairly standard sci-fi setup, but where the game surpassed its peers was in its characterization. All of the characters, whether human or alien, had believable motivations and actions that made your choices actually matter. What's so great about the entire trilogy is that your decisions from one game carried over into the next one, a system so ambitious, that it's almost unbelievable that the developers were able to pull it off as well as they could. As your character grew, so did your story. That's Mass Effect's legacy.

Year Released 2007; 2010; 2012 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Action Role-Playing Developer Bioware Publisher Electronic Arts

Minecraft

Remember when Minecraft wasn't the sole domain of elementary children everywhere? It might be hard to think of a time that this was the truth, but a few years ago Minecraft was more popular among high schoolers and people over the age of eighteen, before it exploded onto the world. My friends and I spent countless hours working together to build a functioning city.We each had our own domeciles, and a railcar track that ran among all of them. It was essentially a functional society. The creative potential that Minecraft taps into is unparalleled in video games, that's why you see millions of children playing the game, and why it will be around for a long time to come.

Year Released 2012 System Xbox 360 Players 1 to 4 (more online) Genre Sandbox; Survival Developer 4J Studios/Mojang Publisher Microsoft Studios

Mirror's Edge

This was the game that made free-running as popular as it is. For someone who couldn't play any M-rated games, Mirror's Edge really resonated with me. There were plenty of ways to shave off seconds and beat your best times in specific levels... The level of replayability was absolutely insane.

Year Released 2008 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Action-Platformer Developer DICE Publisher Electronic Arts

NBA 2K13

NBA 2K is my family's bread and butter, even if this 2012 release wasn't the best year. We really come together over basketball video games. Always have, always will.

Year Released 2012 System Xbox 360 Players 1 to 4 (more online) Genre Sports Developer Visual Concepts Publisher 2K Sports

NCAA Football 14

This game is a bit of an oddity. It's the last NCAA Football game that was ever made, because players decided that they wanted compensation for their likenesses. When the NCAA got wind of the potential of players being paid, they revoked the license and shut it all down. Oh, I suppose it is kind of fun too.

Year Released 2013 System Xbox 360 Players 1 to 4 (more online) Genre Sports Developer EA Tiburon Publisher EA Sports

NHL 12

I don't know a single person who has bought a hockey game for any other reason than to start a fight on the ice.

Year Released 2011 System Xbox 360 Players 1 to 4 (more online) Genre Sports Developer EA Canada Publisher EA Sports

Nier

Possibly the greatest videogame soundtrack of all time, and every vocal track is in a made up language.

Year Released 2010 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Action Role-Playing Developer Cavia Publisher Square Enix

Peggle

The first time I played Peggle was at a sleepover with plenty of typical party games (like Halo and Call of Duty) available to four typical pre-teen boys and myself. We pulled an all-nighter playing Peggle instead.

Year Released 2007 System Xbox 360 Players 1 to 2 Genre Puzzle Developer Popcap Games Publisher Popcap Games

Portal 2

The problem with Portal 2 is that it's too memorable. Every time that I want to replay it, I think about my first time playing it, and the sense of wonder and mindbending puzzles are as vivid as day in my mind. But for a puzzle game, you don't want to play it again if you remember how to solve all the puzzles. Portal 2 is also a fantastic co-op experience, with the puzzles built for 2 players being the real standout of the whole experience. Trying to work together to solve puzzles is bar none one of the best experiences in gaming.

Year Released 2011 System Xbox 360 Players 1 to 2 Genre Puzzle-Platformer Developer Valve Publisher Valve

Rayman's Raving Rabbids

The first Xbox 360 game I ever owned.

Year Released 2007 System Xbox 360 Players 1 to 4 Genre Xbox 360 Developer Ubisoft Montpellier Publisher Ubisoft

Red Dead Redemption

To put it simply, Red Dead is one of those games that comes along only once in a generation. It's as if Rockstar games distilled 70 years of Spaghetti Westerns into one of the most glorious open world games in history. Everything about this game is memorable. The characters, the story, the gameplay antics, and most of all... the ending. I really cannot be any less hyperbolic about Red Dead Redemption without lying. It truly is one of the greatest games of all time.

Year Released 2010 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Action-Adventure Developer Rockstar San Diego Publisher Rockstar Games

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game

Scott Pilgrim is one of the few intellectual properties that has successfully made the transition from comic book, to movie, and also to video game form. That alone is remarkable, but the game surpassed my wildest expectations for a side-scrolling brawler. It takes heavy influence from games like Streets of Rage and other Beat 'em ups, and is all the better for it.

Year Released 2010 System Xbox 360 Players 1 to 4 Genre Beat 'em Up Developer Ubisoft Montreal Publisher Ubisoft

Spec Ops: The Line

The Heart of Darkness masquerading as a video game.

Year Released 2012 System Xbox 360 Players 1 (more online) Genre Third-Person Shooter Developer Yager Development Publisher 2K Games

Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider is one of those seminal properties that everyone knows about. I came into the Tomb Raider reboot with high expectations, and left somewhat impressed. It took a lot of elements from Naughthy Dog's Uncharted series, and successfully created a new formula for the player to explore, while simultaneously making Lara Croft a human being. No small task.

Year Released 2013 System Xbox 360 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action-Adenture Developer Crystal Dynamics Publisher Square Enix

Transformers: War for Cybertron

I remember telling a friend of mine at summer camp that this game would be the next Call of Duty. Regardless of how naive I was, Transformers: War for Cybertron is a fantastic third person shooter that managed to stand on its own in a crowded field of shooters. The transforming mechanics were unique and I still get the itch to pick this one up every once in a while.

Year Released 2010 System Xbox 360 Players 1 (more online) Genre Third-Person Shoooter Developer High Moon Studios Publisher Activision

Vanquish

Think the Matrix meets Halo, and you have a pretty good idea of what Vanquish is.

Year Released 2010 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Third-Person Shooter Developer Platinum Games Publisher Sega

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

The Witcher series is unique in its morality system. It offers you no explicit good or bad choices, just choices that will have consequences later on. No other RPG puts itself at risk of alienating the player in that way, and yet the developers were able to pull it off without a hitch. I highly recommend this game, especially if you're interested in playing its direct sequel.

Year Released 2011 System Xbox 360 Players 1 Genre Action Role-Playing Developer CD Projekt Red Publisher Warner Bros. IE

WWE Legends of Wrestlemania

My family bought this game for my dad when we realized that he wasn't really playing the Xbox all that much. We figured that if we could get him a game that he was interested in, something that he might already know, he'd dive right in. We scored a homerun with WWE Legends of Wrestlemania. It reminded him of the SNES wrestling game that we all enjoyed so much, and the Royal Rumble mode was a total throwback.

Year Released 2009 System Xbox 360 Players 1 to 4 Genre Sports-based Fighting Developer Yuke's Publisher THQ

Did You Know? When the Xbox 360 was first released in 2005, many users reported that the lights on the front of their console were turning red and the consoles themselves were unresponsive. this phenomenon became known as the "Red Ring of Death", and it affected 54% of all Xbox 360 systems from the initial production run.

Nintendo

Wii

Year Released 2010 System Wii Players 1 to 2 Genre Platformer Developer Retro Studios Publisher Nintendo

Bought this game for my parents one Christmas as a gift. Since they always used to play the old Donkey Kong Country together when they were just married, I figured that this would be a good jumping on point for two people that didn't play a lot of games anymore. The look on their faces when they opened it on Christmas was beyond worth it.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

Year Released 2009 System Wii Players 1 to 4 Genre Music; Rhythm Developer Vicarious Visions Publisher Activision

Many hours were spent trying to perfect Michael Jackson's Beat It on Guitar.

Guitar Hero: World Tour

Year Released 2010 System Wii Players 1 to 2 Genre Platformer Developer Good-Feel; Hal Laboratory Publisher Nintendo

One of the easiest games I've ever played, but also one of the most adorable (in every sense of the world).

Kirby's Epic Yarn

Year Released 2011 System Wii Players 1 Genre Action-Adventure Developer Nintendo EAD Publisher Nintendo

There is nothing redeeming about this game. It controls horribly, the story is banal, the level design is far from the highs that other Zelda's reached... Skyward Sword is the epitome of an overrated game.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Year Released 2007 System Wii Players 1 to 2 Genre Action-Adventure Developer Traveller's Tales Publisher LucasArts

Lego Star Wars is one of those games that everyone I knew had in some fashion. It released on basically every platform known to mankind, and who doesn't like Star Wars? Besides that fact, I remember very little about the game itself.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Year Released 2010 System Wii Players 1 to 4 Genre Sports Developer Square Enix Publisher Nintendo

Oddly enough, Square Enix (the makers of Final Fantasy) developed this game. Basketball and turn-based role-playing games don't often mix, which makes this game a bit of a curio. Regardless, playing basketball and all the other sports with your favorite Nintendo characters was a grand old time.

Mario Sports Mix

Year Released 2008 System Wii Players 1 to 2 Genre Sports Developer Bandai Namco Games Publisher Nintendo

I could never hit a home run in this game.

Mario Super Sluggers

Year Released 2009 System Wii Players 1 to 4 Genre Platformer Developer Nintendo EAD Publisher Nintendo

If you play this game with 3 other people, be prepared to accidentally kill each other more than the levels will.

New Super Mario Bros Wii

Year Released 2007 System Wii Players 1 to 2 Genre Platformer Developer Nintendo EAD Tokyo Publisher Nintendo

Like Super Mario 64 on steroids, Super Mario Galaxy took the concept of a 3D mario game and turned it on its head. Despite giving my mother motion sickness, it was a fantastic addition to the Wii, and is one of the greatest platformers of all time.

Super Mario Galaxy

Year Released 2008 System Wii Players 1 to 4 Genre Fighting Developer Ninendo; Game Arts; Sora Ltd. Publisher Nintendo

I don't rememeber getting Super Smash Bros Brawl, I just know that someday it showed up and I could not stop playing it. This revision of the seminal party game added tons of new characters to the mix, and a single player story mode for those players who didn't want to Smash with others. A fantastic all around game, and one that has aged tremendously well.

Super Smash Bros Brawl

Year Released 2009 System Wii Players 1 to 4 Genre Music; Rhythm Developer Harmonix Publisher MTV Games

This game had a career mode where you played through the Beatles entire career with up to 4 people. My friend Nick and I beat it in one night. Ringo's drum solo on The End will be blazed into my mind forever.

The Beatles Rock Band

Year Released 2007 System Wii Players 1 to 4 Genre Sports Developer Blue Castle Games Publisher 2K Sports

This game was to baseball what NBA Jam was to basketball.

The Bigs

Year Released 2009 System Wii Players 1 to 2 Genre Fitness Developer Nintendo EAD Publisher Nintendo

True story: Someone close to me lost a lot of weight with Wii Fit Plus. It seems funny now, when everyone has long since sold off their Wii Balance Boards and other such peripherals, but this game was huge for a short time. Everyone had it. Props to Nintendo for trying to get Americans to be active.

Wii Fit Plus

Year Released 2006 System Wii Players 1 to 4 Genre Sports Developer Nintendo EAD Publisher Nintendo

Got old pretty fast, but all those stories of senior citizens playing it were inspiring.

Wii Sports

Year Released 2009 System Wii Players 1 to 2 Genre Sports Developer Nintendo EAD Publisher Nintendo

This game was cool for the flying minigame alone. Flying around the island and trying to explore all the little nooks and crannies gave me that same feeling of elation that wouldn't be recaptured until years later flying around in the world of Grand Theft Auto V.

Wii Sports Resort

Did You Know? The Wii was built with a blue light on the front side of the console, which flashed every time the console owner received a new message. The specific timing of the lightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flashes were made to mimic the rhythm of a specific bird callâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the one made by the Japanese bush warbler.

Playstation 4

100

Year Released 2014 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Stealth; Survival Horror Developer Creative Assembly Publisher Sega

Imagine if you were inside the movie Alien.That is the horrifying solitary experience that is Alien Isolation.

Alien: Isolation

101

Year Released 2015 System Playstation 4 Players 1 to 2 Genre Metroidvania Developer Alientrap Publisher Alientrap

Plays as if God of War was a 2D sidescroller.

Apotheon

102

Year Released 2013 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action-Adventure Developer Ubisoft Montreal Publisher Ubisoft

Takes the familiar formula of the Assassin's Creed Series, and pulled a Pirates of the Carribean twist. Sailing the open seas has never felt so freeing.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

103

Year Released 2014 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action-Adventure Developer Ubisoft Montreal Publisher Ubisoft

Took everything that was improved upon in Assassin's Creed IV and went in the opposite direction. A beautiful game to look at, but not a fun game to play.

Assassin's Creed Unity

104

Year Released 2015 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Action-Adventure Developer Rocksteady Studios Publisher Warner Bros. IE

This was the game that I thought was never going to come out. It got delayed again and again until it finally came out, and was a bit underwhelming. Sure, it's gorgeous to look at, but it doesn't have nearly as good a story as the previous two Arkham games, and at times it feels like it was still a rushed product, even if it did get delayed multiple times.

Batman Arkham Knight

105

Year Released 2013 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre First-Person Shooter Developer DICE Publisher Electronic Arts

Battlefield is the definitive online multiplayer experience. If you've never played a match of Battlefield with 64 other players running around all at once, you haven't really lived. Tanks roll by, jets scream overhead, and choppers threaten your every move. The best part? The way that buildings actually crumble as you shoot them. Destruction is one thing that Battlefield has over its competition, and it's glorious.

Battlefield 4

106

Year Released 2014 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Roguelike Developer Nicalis Publisher Nicalis

This game is ridculously hard, and everytime you die you get sent back to the very beginning of the game. Needless to say, I've never made it very far.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

107

Year Released 2015 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action Role-Playing Developer From Software; Sony Japan Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment

At once difficult to its core and grotesquely horrifying, Bloodborne is unique experience. My friend Colton and I got this game around the same time, and started playing through it together, because it's so painfully difficult that it'll make you want to play with another person. Even though it is difficult, it isn't unfair, a task that few games ever attempt, let alone accomplish. For that, I commend it. Now I just have to pencil in some time to finish the dang game someday.

Bloodborne

108

Year Released 2016 System Playstation 4 Players 1 to 4 Genre Run-and-Gun Sidescroller Developer Free Lives Publisher Devolver Digital

A good co-op game to play with your bros. Plays like a greatest hits of Eighties action movies, including cameos by several famous characters.

Broforce

109

Year Released 2014 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Stealth Developer Dynamighty Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment

Has an art style reminiscient of a Pixar movie, and sneaking around Soviet and American bases to try to prevent the cold war was satisfying until the huge difficulty spike at the end of the game.

Counterspy

110

Year Released 2016 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Stealth-Action Developer Eidos Montreal Publisher Square Enix

Deus Ex takes to mind the single city block RPG concept invented by famed designer Warren Specter. Essentially, the game is set within a few square miles of city, and all of the interactions are intimate and impactful. On top of the meaningful interactions is a fun game to boot. Climbing through grates and sneaking around enemies to achieve your objective, going through the entire game without being seen once, and not killing anyone throughout the entire game are noteworthy challenges that take time and effort to master.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

111

Year Released 2016 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre First-Person Shooter Developer id Software Publisher Bethesda Softworks

Doom is the oldest First-Person Shooter in the world. This 2016 reboot has all of the fun of the original, with a soundtrack to die for. Nothing sounds better than industrial metal while you're fighting the hordes of hell.

Doom

112

Year Released 2015 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action-Platformer Developer Techland Publisher Warner Bros. IE

Like Mirror's Edge, but with zombies.

Dying Light

113

Year Released 2015 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Action Role-Playing Developer Bethesda Game Studios Publisher Bethesda Softworks

Fallout 4 is essentially Skyrim in a fifties-esque post-apocalyptic future dystopia. Sound like a long pitch? That's because the scenario of the game is a little out there. But the choices you get to make, along with the improved gunplay and action sequences over other similar RPGs put Fallout in a league of its own.

Fallout 4

114

Year Released 2012 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Puzzle-Platformer Developer Polytron Corporation Publisher Trapdoor

A crafty little puzzle game that's all about perspective. It also hid within its code a secret that took the gaming community months to figure out, no small feat in the world of instant communication.

Fez

115

Year Released 2016 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Action Developer The Game Bakers Publisher The Game Bakers

If you like EDM music and challenging action games, you will love Furi. Never before has a game frustrated me so much, and yet encouraged me to keep playing. Its short length is to its benefit, as it encourages replaying to beat your best scores.

Furi

116

Year Released 2014 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action-Adventure Developer Rockstar North Publisher Rockstar Games

If you don't know what Grand Theft Auto is, you must not know what the internet is either. This game is ubiquitous in popular culture, and very few games match it in depth and variety of gameplay. Is it a little depraved? Sure, but it's also ridiculously fun to play.

Grand Theft Auto V

117

Year Released 2015 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Platformer Developer Ubisoft Reflections Publisher Ubisoft

Year Released 2012 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (1 to 2 online) Genre Adventure Developer thatgamecompany Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment

Year Released 2014 System Playstation 4 Players 1 to 4 Genre Metroidvania Developer Drinkbox Studios Publisher Drinkbox Studios

118

119

On opposite page (listed from top left to bottom right): Killzone Shadowfall, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Metro Redux, Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor On this page (listed from top left to right): Mirror's Edge Catalyst, Mortal Kombat XL

120

Year Released 2015 System Playstation 4 Players 1 to 4 (more online) Genre Sports Developer Visual Concepts Publisher 2K Sports

What if I told you that the Denver Nuggets packed up shop and moved to Omaha, then the very next year won a championship? Okay, so maybe that didn't happen in real life, but in NBA 2K16, it most certainly did. My father, sister, brother, and I all created a franchise and played through an entire season together over the summer of 2016. It was some of the best gaming experiences that I've ever had, and reaffirmed my belief that cooperative games are among the most fun that exist.

NBA 2K16

121

Year Released 2016 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Adventure; Survival Developer Hello Games Publisher Hello Games

Virtual tourism, and not much else. Pretty box though.

No Man's Sky

Year Released

122

2016 System Playstation 4 Players 1 to 12 (online) Genre First-Person Shooter Developer Blizzard Entertainment Publisher Blizzard Entertainment

Year Released 2002 (2015 re-release) System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Survival Horror Developer Capcom Publisher Capcom

Year Released 2013 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre Side-scroller; Shoot 'em up Developer Housemarque Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment

123

Year Released 2015 System Players 1 to 4 (2 to 8 online) Genre Sports Developer Psyonix Publisher Psyonix

The best cooperative game ever made, bar none. Easy to get the hang of, insane to master, Rocket League is everything that small games aspire to be. Soccer with turbo charged toy cars seems like such a simple concept, but the execution is near flawless. This game deserves to stand up alongside the greats.

Rocket League

124

Year Released 2014 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action-Adventure Developer Naughty Dog Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment

What hasn't already been said about this game that I can say? It's the greatest story in the history of video games. If you haven't played it, you owe it to yourself to make it through the darkness of post-apocalyptic America in this deeply personal coming of age story.

The Last of Us Remastered

125

Games listed clockwise from top left: Towefall Ascension, Spelunky, Star Wars Battlefront, Sleeping Dogs, The Swapper

126

Year Released 2015 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Action-Adventure Developer Platinum Games Publisher Activision

The complete opposite of Transformers: War for Cybertron, Devastation is pure action gaming bliss. It's Transformers with a Japanese action twist.

Transformers: Devastation

127

Year Released 2014 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Action Role-Playing Developer Supergiant Games Publisher Supergiant Games

Transistor is a bit of an odd duckling. It's a turn based role-playing game with a beautiful hand-drawn art style: two things that went out of style around 1996. And yet, it plays wonderfully. The soundtrack is captivating, the characters have good motivations, and I've never felt such a connection to a weapon as I did to the sentient transistor sword that the game draws its name from.

Transistor

128

Year Released 2016 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action-Adventure Developer Naughty Dog Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment

Uncharted 4 is unabashedly the most beautiful game that has ever been created. It pushes the hardware of the PS4 to the absolute max, and then breaks through to create a whole new level of graphics. On top of the stunning graphics, it has a pretty solid story of redemption. Nathan Drake is a man who's got a problem, an addiction to risking his own life and the lives of those he trusts. The game puts that problem at the forefront, with an extremely satisfying conclusion that wraps up the Uncharted series.

Uncharted 4

129

Year Released 2015 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Adventure; Horror Developer Supermassive Games Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment

I bought Until Dawn to play with my roommate last Fall. Boy were we in for a treat. The game plays like a movie, with the player models and situations looking straight out of a teen slasher film. The best way to play the game is for each player to take control of a certain amount of the survivors and try to keep your characters alive at all costs. The branching choices within the game make that extremely difficult, as one character's choices can have drastic ramifications for other characters. All in all, Until Dawn is a fantastic game for those who love a good horror story. Perfect for Halloween or when you're thinking about those things that go bump in the night.

Until Dawn

130

Year Released 2014 System Playstation 4 Players 1 (more online) Genre Action-Adventure Developer Ubisoft Montreal Publisher Ubisoft

GTA wannabe.

Watch Dogs

131

Year Released 2015 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Action Role-Playing Developer CD Projekt Red Publisher CD Projekt

The greatest Role-Playing game ever made.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

132

Year Released 2016 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre Puzzle Developer Thekla, Inc. Publisher Thekla, Inc.

The Witness is the most infuriating puzzle game that I've ever encountered. There is essentially no hand-holding; The developer left it up to the player to figure everything out. The basic puzzles are pretty simple, but as they go on, they ramp up in difficulty extensively. This difficulty is combated by the gorgeous surroundings of the island, harkening back to old adventure games like Myst.The island is mostly open from the start, and players are free to leave one puzzle and move on to another one if they're feeling too frustrated. It'll still be there when you come back later.

The Witness

133

Year Released 2014 System Playstation 4 Players 1 Genre First-Person Shooter Developer MachineGames Publisher Bethesda Softworks

Wolfenstein: The New Order had no business having a good story. The previous games in the series were pretty straight forward: you find nazis, you shoot nazis, you beat the game. But for this one, developer Machine Games threw a wrench in that formula. They made the main character, BJ Blaskowicz, a functional human being capable of feeling emotions. He's still a Nazi killing machine, but he has a reason to fight: his friends and his love interest Anya. That emotional depth made the game that much richer, and it benefited from it in multiple ways.

Wolfenstein: The New Order

134

Year Released 2015 System PC Players 1 Genre Role-Playing Developer Toby Fox Publisher Toby Fox

A callback to the classic Earthbound series, Undertale jumped onto the scene in 2015 from out of nowhere to near universal acclaim and praise. Made by a single man, Undertale is a role-playing game with heart. You meet many characters on your journey through the underground, you make friends, you meet enemies, you go on a date with a skeleton, you fight a robot gameshow host, and experience many other quirky situations that seem hard-wired to pull at your heartstrings.

Undertale

135

Did You Know? The Playstation 4 is not the first mainstream console to support virtual reality. That honor would go to the Nintendo Virtual Boy, an oft-forgotten and ill-conceived console from the 80's. However, it is the first viable VR platform on a home console.

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Glossary

First-Person– The player's view is looking through the eyes of the protagonist. Metroidvania– A genre that combines the traits of the games Metroid and Castlevania, two games that came out around the same time with similar gameplay trappings. A Metroidvania is a game with an open level design, and as players gain new powers, they must backtrack to access new areas. Roguelike– A game having qualities similar to the game Rogue. Upon death, the player is transported back to the very start of the game, losing all of their process and experience. Shoot 'Em Up– A genre colloquially referred to as a "Shmup", the Shoot 'Em Up has roots in the old arcade games of the 70's and 80's, where players had to face daunting challenges with a joystick and an endless machine gun that could shoot in a full circle. Side-Scroller– A genre of games that also hail from the arcades.These games have levels that scrolled on a 2D plane, until the player reaches the finish. The most well known side-scroller would be Super Mario. SNES– Super Nintendo Third-Person– The player's view is looking over the shoulder of the game's protagonist, often accompanied with a sweeping 360o camera.

"A game is a series of interesting choices." -Sid Meier (creator of the Civilization series)